Characterisctics of ragweed allergy in Hungary

Introduction: Although the prevalence of ragweed allergy in Europe is still low, it is increasing according to recent statistics. In contrast, in Hungary ragweed is the most common allergen with very high sensitisation in the general Hungarian population. Aim: We investigated the number and clinical characteristics of ragweed allergy in the Hungarian population, as the first comprehensive study to evaluate ragweed allergy in Hungary. Method: One thousand Hungarian adult subjects were screened with a questionnaire for ragweed allergy. People with ragweed allergy answered further specific questions about their disease history, symptoms and medication use. Results: 305 subjects reported allergy from which 218 patients had symptoms during ragweed pollination suggesting ragweed allergy. 40% of these had symptoms for more than 5 years. Asthma was reported in 18.3%. Around 24% of these patients were undiagnosed; they did not take any medications or visited professionals because of their symptoms. Compared to the non-ragweed allergic patients, subjects with ragweed allergy were older and better educated, but the dominance of female gender was less prominent than in the non-ragweed group (all p< 0.05). Conclusions: Around 22% of the Hungarian population suffers from ragweed allergy. Studies should focus on eradication strategy and improvement of patient care.